Mail-bag



lllfllllllll/IIIIIIIL Patented July 1-5, 1884.

W. RANDREWS. MAIL BAG.

(No Model.)

UNITED STATES PATENT OEETCE.,

VILSON F. ANDREWS, OF VVALN'UIIORT, PENNSYLVANIA.

MAIL-BAG.

SPECIFICATION forrriing pari'. 0f Letters Patent NO. 302,219, dated July 15, 1884.

Application filed April 7, 1884. (No model.)

.To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILSON F. ANDREWS, acitizen of the United States, residing at Valnutport, in the county of Northampton and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Mail-Bags, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to mail bags or pouches; aud it consists ina novel fastening therefor, which is not only perfectly safe and secure, but which is notfully exposed to view when the mouthof the bag is closed and locked, as will be fully understood from the following description, when taken in connection with the annexed drawings, in which- Figure l isa front view of a mail bag or pouch having my improved fastening applied to it. Fig. 2 is a back view of the upper part of the same. Fig. 3 is a view partly broken, exposing the sliding closing-strip, showing its tongues engaged with the staples or loops. Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. showing the tongues detached from the staples. Fig. 5 is a cross-section on line x, Fig. 2. Fig. 6 is a detail view of the closing-strip and its catches. Fig. 7 is an enlarged transverse section of part of the bag, showing part of the closing-strip.

The bag or pouch A may be constructed in a well-known manner, except in the particulars hereinafter described.

B designates the flap of the bag, which is secured on one side to it in the usual wellknown manner, and constructed so as to fold over the upper edges of the bag and close the mouth thereof.

To the front free part of the iiap B are suitably secured a number of staples, O, which are in a straight line across the flap and arranged at even distances apart, as shown in Figs. 2, 3, and 4.

I contemplate using the well-known reenforcing or facing plates P P', riveted to the frontl and back parts of the bag, as shown in Fig. 5. These plates, together with the bag proper and the free portion of the iiap B, are slotted, to receive through them the staples C, when the flap is closed over the top edges of the bag, as shown in Fig. 5.

G designates a closing-strip, which is flexibly connected to the flap B at one side by means of a loop, d, near which loop a ring, F, is secured to the said strip G by means of a strap, 71,.

(Shown in Fig. 7 v.) The opposite or free end of the strip Ghas a slotted plate, g, firmly secured to it, and designed to receive through it along staple, E, through which latter the hasp of a padlock is passed, as shown in Fig. l. The strip G has riveted to it a chain or" open or slotted plates, N, each one of which is constructed with a narrow tongue, c, extending into the slot through the plate, as shown in Figs. 3 and 6. These tongues are of an even length and distance apart, and they are adapted to pass through the staples C and safely hold the edges of the bag closed. The strip G is seated in and guided by the facing-plate P', as shown in Fig. 5, and it is allowed to be moved in a direction with its length.

The operation is as follows: When a bag or pouch is filled with mail-matter, the flap is folded over its open end and the staples passed through the bag, as shown in Fig. 5. The strip G is then moved endwise by pulling on its free end, thereby sliding all ofthe tongues cthrough the said staples. The free end of the strip G is then adjusted on the staple E, and secured by means of a padlock, D. To open the bag the strip is unlocked, and then drawn back by pulling on the ring F until the tongues are free from the staples C. A

y It will be observed from the above descrip tion that when the bag is closed the closing or locking strip G lies between the back of the flap B and the body of the bag. Consequently it is invisible and cannot be successfully tampered with. It will also be observed that the locking-tongues c are formed on separate open or slotted plates secured to a flexible strip, G. Any one or more of these plates can therefore be detached fromV the strip G should their tongues be impaired and perfect plates substituted.

I am aware' that locking-strips having slots and tongues constructed4 entire, and also with independent tongueplates, have been applied to mail-bags and used in connection with staples for holding together'the edges of the mailbags. I am also aware that such strips have been applied to mail-bags on the outside of the flap, where they are exposed to view and to injury. Such devices I do not claim as my invention.

Having describedmy invention, I claim as new* IOO scribed.

Io bag having eyelets about its mouth7 and hav- 1. rIhe combinationvithamail bag or pouch ing a iiap provided with staples adapted to having a closing-ilap provided With staples, of pass through the bag and to receive the tongues a flexible sliding closing-strip having slotted on said plates between the back of the flap and tongue-plates and the guide-plates therefor, the body of the bag7 substantially as and for both located between the back ofthe said flap l the purposes described.

and the body of the bag, substantially as de- XVILSN' F ANDREVS ing tongue-plates secured to it with a mai1- RoBT. H. DALBY,

2. The combination of theclosing-strip havl Vfitnesses:

DAVID MCKENNA. 

